A British woman’s holiday turned into a harrowing ordeal when she was detained at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, accused of smuggling 43kg of cocaine, with a street value of £15 million.
Kim Hall, 28, was stopped while boarding a connecting flight to Manchester, as Homeland Security agents uncovered the cocaine in her suitcases.
Hall, now facing up to 60 years in a U prison, claims she was deceived into transporting what she believed to be cash. According to her account, she had accepted a free trip to Mexico from two men she met shortly before the trip, and after a week in Cancun, they allegedly pressured her to carry bags filled with what they said was $250,000 in cash. Hall says she was held at gunpoint and forced to comply, terrified for her life.
“I’m not a bad person,” Hall said. “They held a gun to my head and threatened to shoot me. I had no suspicion this was about drugs.”
Her father, John Hall, has defended her innocence, describing her actions as “naive” and calling for more support from the British government. He said his daughter was “petrified” of the men who coerced her, adding that they threatened her family.
Now under house arrest, Hall awaits trial on Class X felony charges and could face 15 to 60 years in prison if convicted.
[Image created via MidJourney]